Do I tip the instructor?

[aqwert5]

Went for my first 2 days (out of 3) of Basic Keelboat instruction (ASA) last weekend, and with the class being over next weekend I want to find out if it is customary to tip the instructor at the end of the class. What's the common wisdom?

If I tip, how much?

I think the 3 of us did very good, having gone through and learned the material for 3 days in 2 days. I believe the instructor was pretty good (but don't have a reference point) with clear and concise explanations.

Thanks,
Dave

[JohnRPollard]

Dave,

I worked as a part-time sailing instructor for a number of years. I received a very fair hourly wage and I never expected anyone to tip at the end of the lessons.

[smackdaddy]

Originally Posted by aqwert5

Went for my first 2 days (out of 3) of Basic Keelboat instruction (ASA) last weekend, and with the class being over next weekend I want to find out if it is customary to tip the instructor at the end of the class. What's the common wisdom?

If I tip, how much?

I think the 3 of us did very good, having gone through and learned the material for 3 days in 2 days. I believe the instructor was pretty good (but don't have a reference point) with clear and concise explanations.

Thanks,
Dave

Hey aq - first, congrats on getting out there and doing it!

Second, let me encourage you to do a write-up of your experience when you get a chance. There are so many people always asking about how to get started that it would be great to point them to this thread so they can see exactly how someone did it.

[nolatom]

I teach part-time for a brokerage who also does lessons, and owns the boats. I don't expect tips. Everyone gets the same instruction/service regardless.

But I don't refuse them, either. It's a pleasant surprise, which happens occasionally, typically when a group is all family, or all together in some way. It doesn't happen when it's a mixed group of students.

Unlike a dive boat where they tell you the deckhand works only for tips, and you tip them, say, 5 or 10 bucks per tank, on a sailing lesson you've already paid for the whole package, and I already get paid by the school.

[nolatom]

double post, deleted

[eherlihy]

When I took my ASA courses, the thought never entered my mind to tip the instructor. I did write an email to the school owner, commending the instructors that I thought were good.

For anyone taking courses through the BHSC; Vern and John are GREAT instructors!

[padean]

I have taken several courses over the last 6-8 years. For the vast majority of instructors I did leave a tip, primarily because they are usually helping out with a number of things in addition to the basic instruction. These guys/gals spend a fair amount of time, and often provide more useful information than the course material, and probably deserve a moderate tip if they go beyond expected instruction.

Having said that, my teenage son teaches for the local sailing club every summer, and doesn't expect a tip, but that is not several full days of instruction at a time.

My suggestion is that if you feel you got more than your money worth from the instructor, share that.

[Architeuthis]

In the past I have tipped and not tipped.

In one case the boat seemed crowded, every spot was filled. When the boat ad says the 30' sleeps 7 it doesn't really mean 7 adults night after night. The holding tank was not emptied before our use so filled first day. Instructor blamed the students but we were not exactly new to heads and determined it could not be one of us. Even if it was, big deal. The instructor did not seem to like the idea of women on board and did not seem to be having as much fun as we were.

In other case the boat was well prepared, no need for people to sleep in the main cabin or even share heads. The captain was entertaining and educational and through no fault of his own found half his students leave after the first day. That gave my wife and I a full week of sailing with personal instruction. We changed the program worked on stuff we wanted to, took a much more difficult route back than was planned, even got in some night sailing. Captian was also having a good time, we even did a pit stop for more booze which was great as we got to enter another marina with a tricky entrance. All in all it was much more than we had expected, covered a lot of stuff that would not normally be covered and it turned out to be one of our best vacations ever!

Guess which one got a tip which was about 10% of our total cost?

[AdamLein]

Instead of a tip, I would recommend a sincere testimonial.

[tomandchris]

I have taken ASA classes by the day and also taken a weeks cruising course.

The average captains pay is $150-200 a day from the school. You have to determine whether you got that much and more from the class. In our cases we were very happy with the instructors and as a class decided to tip him somewhere in the 7-10% range if I remember correctly. On the 7 day 104/105 class we also kept him well fed. He was responsible for his own drinks.

It really depends on the school and the instructors performance of his/her duties. However, I will tell you that they find it hard to pay bills with those testimonials!

Be fair, and if you think they performed their job well and went beyond...tip them.